The TI has nearly double the sail area, but also weighs more - you should be slightly faster in a TI than you would be on a single Island - but not by much. The TI has huge advantage though if you are weighed down, and obviously that you can take a second passenger - so it's not really all about speed, it's about fun for 2! (or three with tramps you can take a friend along if you stay under the max load limits that is)

...so it's not really all about speed, it's about fun for 2! (or three with tramps you can take a friend along if you stay under the max load limits that is)

Jbernier is exactly right. The AI and TI are all about fun, and speed doesn't always equal fun. A Mini Cooper is a fun car. A Lamborghini is faster. But that doesn't make the Mini any less fun.

The toughest thing to convince people before they've tried an AI (or TI) is that it's not about the speed with those boats, and even if they're not as fast as a Catamaran, they can be just as much, and in many cases, MORE fun than a Catamaran.

A Catamaran is all about speed, the TI and AI family are all about a different kind of fun.

Yep, I was keen to find out for myself the speed comparisons between the 2. This clip was taken a while back but you can see at the 5 minute mark I tucked in behind Stringy and Kathy, trimmed the sail to be as similar as possible, but there was no way I could catch them. ( I'd never admit that it had anything to do with sailing skill levels. He may be listening ).

The TI is for sure faster than the AI. If you sail the TI solo its even faster as I learned recently... I was at a regatta with J24's taking pictures of the regatta as I was heading down wind with the J's I discovered I was keeping up with them, which was impressive to me since J's are pretty fast down wind. I have sailed the AI and TI extensively and for sure the TI is faster, however the AI is lighter and sails great. My wife likes to sail two AI's versus the TI together but I think that is due to the fact she is always wanting to race me and kick my butt.